News and Discussion on world ferries

[Low Light Mike]

I subscribe to "Google-alerts", and so I get emails re various news headlines involving ferries. This regular email drives my wife crazy, they do it on the daily....
==============================

Here is something that has a musical connection, but only for those who like 1960's music:

www.caterersearch.com:80/Articles/2007/08/09/315445/mersey-ferries-ltd-expressions-of-interest-for-the-provision-of-catering.html

Mersey Ferries Ltd: Expressions of interest for the provision of catering services
(09 August 2007 00:00)

Mersey Ferries Ltd, wholly owned by Merseytravel, the Transport Executive and Authority for Merseyside, invites expressions of interest for the provision of catering services.

Mersey Ferries has a long and prestigious history and is now firmly established as Merseyside's largest paid for tourist attraction and an icon of Merseyside.

As part of our ongoing development we are seeking expressions of interest from operators with real passion to create a "role model" family friendly café at our Seacombe terminal which houses the £10M Spaceport visitor attraction, Aquarium and childrens playzone.

In addition you will further develop the on-board catering offer to support our growing programme of cruises and charters.

Further information and a pre-tender questionnaire is available from:

Mr Brian Kerr, Business Development Manager,
Mersey Ferries Ltd, Victoria Place, Seacombe,
Wallasey, Merseyside CH44 6QY
Email: [e-mail]

The closing date for receipt of completed questionnaires is 31 August 2007.

Source: CatererSearch
=====================

ok, so this is only mildly interesting, because of the "ferry 'cross the Mersey" connection. sorry to disappoint. If Cascade weren't in-hiding, I'm sure he'd have something to say re this....

[Low Light Mike]

Here's a Scotland news story about lowering ferry fares, to keep them affordable for residents.

Check out the news story, and the reader comments, here:
news.scotsman.com:80/scotland.cfm?id=1280842007

....I don't know why the entire URL isn't captured in the blue above, as it looks ok in my edit-version of this post. I trust you can find the article, if you're interested in doing so.

Here's a sample to whet your appetite, from the news story:

Mr Swinney said: "We understand the genuine concerns from our remote and fragile communities about the affordability of ferry travel and the impact this has on islanders.
"I believe that the way forward is to consider the benefits of introducing a Road Equivalent Tariff approach to setting fares in Scotland

And here's a sample from the reader feedback:

Seems to me that residents of the islands or those who work on the islands or ferries serving them should only be required to pay once for a tamper-proff non-tranferable annual pass that allows them one free trip each day, four days a week.

Others should pay only the incremental additional costs of the ferry over that of a road of equal distance since the ferries are extensions and contiguous portion of the road system and their funding, therefore, should come out of the 'roads' budget.

The English should pay ten times the highest possible rate as their penance for the centuries of opression they have imposed upon the Scottish peoples.

[Low Light Mike]

Here's another, with a funny headline:
=======================
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/printable_version.cfm?objectid=19654858&siteid=66633
18 August 2007
FERRIES BLOW TO FESTIVAL

FERRY bosses have withdrawn free passes from performers at an island musical festival - to the fury of organisers.

CalMac have given £1000 worth of free and cut-price passes to support the Millport Country & Western Festival for the past 12 years.

But now they have told organisers all the performers and officials must pay their own way over to the Isle of Cumbrae for the festival from August 31 to September 2.

Festival chairman Jim Crossan said he was "saddened and disappointed" at the move.

He said: "The festival is very important to the island and, of course, Calmac does benefit greatly by the increased numbers of visitors, which makes their decision not to support us even harder to take."

A Calmac spokesman said: "We can't afford it anymore. We are funded by the taxpayer and are not in a position to fund over £1000 worth of tickets for this event.

"We review every event we support on an annual basis and have come to the decision we can't afford this one."

[Low Light Mike]

From the "Daily Mail", re a sunken WWI sub, that now threatens a shipping lane in the English Channel.

====================
www.dailymail.co.uk:80/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=476066&in_page_id=1770


The ghost of U-Boat 33: German sub sunk in 1918 threatening to surface in Channel
By CHRISTIAN GYSIN and ALUN REES

It was one of the deadliest submarines in the German Navy's fleet during the First World War.

The UB-33 stalked the seas - sinking at least 13 craft as it marauded across the English Channel and North Sea in search of Allied vessels.

Finally, the hunter met its own end eight miles off Dover in 1918. But now, 89 years on, the ghost of the submarine is threatening to rise from the depths - to pose a new danger to cargo ships, tankers and ferries in the Channel, the world's busiest shipping lane.

Lying in shallow waters, the wreck of the UB-33 has been disturbed by passing vessels, leading to fears that it could break free from the seabed and rise to the surface.

So a salvage operation has been launched to prevent it hitting any of the hundreds of ships that cross the Channel each day.

The saga began when UB (Unterseeboot) 33 was sunk with all 28 crew on April 11, 1918, after hitting a mine around the Varne Bank sandbank in the Dover Strait. It was armed with six torpedoes, two already loaded in its forward tubes.

The area is directly beneath the shipping lane now used by ferries travelling to Calais and Boulogne and much of the movement of the wreck has been caused by the turbulence of vessels travelling above it.

Currently, the UB-33 is lying 77ft down, but the official minimum clearance depth is 87ft.

Trinity House - the institution which marks shipping lanes and maintains lighthouses - has temporarily stationed a vessel over the spot to warn ships.

It was orginally thought the wreck could simply be blown up. However, that cannot be done because of the vessel's status as a registered war grave.

Another option would be to mark its position with a large buoy. But the Varne Bank area is so busy that one shipping source said this would be like "putting a speed hump in the fast lane of the M4".

A Trinity House spokesman said there are now alternative plans to gently move the UB-33 to deeper water. "It has been there a long time, but now the wreck has started to move and it is causing concern as it has once again become a danger to shipping," explained Vikki Gilson.

"We have had divers surveying the wreck and one solution would be to re-set the wreck in a deeper position. It has been a hazardous job for the divers, but their survey is now complete. In the next few weeks, when conditions are right, we are hopeful we can move the boat."

Trinity House says it is not officially confirming the identity of the U-boat out of respect for the families of the dead crew. "It is a sensitive situation because it is a war grave and we would not like to get anything wrong."

The 324-ton UB-33, officially designated a coastal torpedo attack boat, sank three years after being launched. It was capable of doing 45 miles at 5 knots (5.8mph) submerged and involved in a total of 17 patrols.

During that time, it destroyed 13 ships, damaged two others and took three as prizes.

The submarine, commanded by First Lieutenant Fritz Gregor, slipped its moorings for the last time when it sailed out of the Belgian port of Zeebrugge - then in the hands of the Germans - on the night of April 10, 1918. It hit the mine the following day.

It was one of more than 1,000 such boats which sank hundreds of thousands of tons of Allied shipping during the First World War. But 182 U-boats were sunk between 1914 and 1918 - and today the wrecks of some 133 lie around the coast of Britain.

During the Second World War, a further 666 U-Boats were sunk and many of them are still legally protected as war graves.
=====================

[Mill Bay]

And we thought we had problems with our ferry service...

this is what the new Hawaii superferry is up against.

Also see ferriesbc.proboards20.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=newferries&thread=1167803153&page=23 post #569 by P_Keenleyside
who has finally seen fit to join our group.




Surfers Stop Superferry in Hawaii
By DAVID BRISCOE, Associated Press Writer


HONOLULU - The Coast Guard helped clear protesters who briefly disrupted the second voyage of Hawaii's first-ever passenger ferry service among the Hawaiian islands, but the fight over the ship's environmental impact is far from over.

The Hawaii Superferry made two packed trips Sunday _ two days ahead of schedule _ after the state Supreme Court ruled last week that the state should have required an environmental report before the ferry launched. State transportation officials, noting that the court didn't explicitly say the ship couldn't run, still allowed the service to start.

A dozen protesters on surfboards blocked the ship for more than an hour from docking at Kauai's Lihue harbor Sunday, but the Coast Guard cleared them away. Hundreds more protesters onshore beat drums and chanted in support of the surfers.

The protesters and environmentalists argue that the ferry's plan to ply 400 miles of Hawaii waters each day endangers whales, threatens to spread invasive species and will worsen traffic and pollution.

They planned to ask a judge on Monday for an injunction to halt the ferry service until the environmental study is conducted.

Hawaii Superferry Inc., in a statement late Sunday, said it was disappointed in the delay on Kauai.

"We are sorry to see that minority dissident groups have chosen to oppose a service that the people of Hawaii have overwhelmingly embraced," the statement said, noting it had sold 22,000 tickets.

Loaded with people attracted by a special $5 fare for the 100-mile voyage past scenic island shores, the Superferry completed its maiden run to Maui and arrived back in Honolulu on time Sunday, then began its trip to Kauai. Passengers lauded the air-conditioned ship, equipped with snack bars and high-definition TV screens, for its luxury and convenience.

On both trips, the $95 million ship was loaded with more than 500 people and 150 cars, the limit placed on initial voyages. It's built to carry more than 800 passengers and 200 cars.

After Sept. 5, the fares will go up significantly: Round trips from Honolulu to Maui or Kauai, with taxes and a fuel surcharge, will cost more than $240 for one passenger and a car.

The environmentalists' attorney, Isaac Hall, said he will seek an injunction to prevent the Superferry from doing business until environmental studies are completed. Such reviews typically are required for projects that use state money and land, such as harbors, and they can take months or years to complete.

Superferry supporters say the ferry is being treated unfairly because other harbor users such as cruise ships didn't have to go through extensive environmental reviews.

"These standards should apply to all players, not just the newest, the smallest and the most popular," said David Cole, the chairman, president and CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., which invested $1 million in the ferry.

Superferry officials say the ship's water jet propulsion system means there are no exposed propellers to strike aquatic animals.

Before Sunday, the only way to travel among the islands where an estimated 1.2 million people live and tens of thousands of tourists arrive each day was by the local airlines.

Superferry Chief Executive John Garibaldi, who mingled with passengers, said one reason for the service was to avoid a repeat of the effect of the nation's grounded airplanes after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Then, island residents and tourists dependent on air travel were stranded for several days.

Austal USA, which built the ferry in Mobile, Ala., is also building a second scheduled to serve the Big Island starting in 2009.

___

Associated Press writer Jaymes Song contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

Hawaii Superferry: hawaiisuperferry.com/

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Low Light Mike]

re Sydney Australia, passenger ferry:
=======================
www.news.com.au:80/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22317114-5006009,00.html

Sydney ferries out of control
By Heath Aston
August 28, 2007 12:00am

SYDNEY Ferries captains are smoking cigarettes, taking phone calls and reading newspapers while at the controls of passenger vessels.

Just as frightening, a majority of masters have no idea how to use expensive radar equipment in Freshwater class Manly ferries and JetCats, a damning report has revealed.

NSW Maritime investigators, who rode on the bridge with ferry crews during their investigation, observed: "Assessment of contacts was purely by eye. No attempt was made to utilise radar or compass bearings."

"No master ever checked the vessels' quarter for the presence of another vessel prior to altering course," the report noted.

It also found compasses are not maintained in precise working order - one compass had not been "swung" since 1984.

"The navigation charts are out of date and in some cases misleading - one was stamped 'not to be used in navigation'," NSW Maritime said.

Masters are also prone to allowing deckhands and other non-essential staff to ride on the bridge, "considerably elevating the noise levels" in the cabin.

The Daily Telegraph yesterday observed a Manly ferry crew lighting up cigarettes in the wheelhouse mid-trip, in breach of workplace laws.

The damning assessment of the seamanship of ferry masters was contained in a report into two separate near misses in heavy fog in October 2005, obtained under Freedom of Information laws.

In what could have been an unprecedented disaster, two JetCats crossed within 50-70m of each other doing a combined speed of 42 knots (about 60km/h).

Two Manly ferries - which can carry more than 1000 passengers at peak times - passed within 25-200m of each other.

Although visibility was a pea soup-like 0-200m on that morning, none of the crews used radar to ensure safe passage.

The incidents occurred just over a year before the two recent ferry tragedies that claimed five lives and sparked the current safety inquiry headed by barrister Bret Walker SC.

Sydney Ferries yesterday said ferries no longer operate in heavy fog. "The policy of ceasing ferry operations in heavy fog was introduced in May 2006 and has proven effective, with no near-miss incidents during fog recorded since its inception," a spokesman said.

One ferry master yesterday dismissed the NSW Maritime findings on poor seamanship.

"Those guys are like failed police recruits who end up as security guards," he said.
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[Low Light Mike]

Here's another article re the Scotland tariff issue. Has anyone checked it out....there are parallels to our Gulf Island minor route fare issues:
==============

www.shetlandmarine.com:80/2007/05%20Oil%20&%20Shipping/msp_calls_for_ferry_inquiry.htm

3 September, 2007

A HIGHLANDS and Islands MSP has called for a comprehensive review of ferry services in Scotland following a series of visits to the country's island communities.

Labour MSP David Stewart said the Scottish Executive's inquiry into the possibilities of introducing a Road Equivalent Tariff should be complemented by a major inquiry into ferries conducted by the parliament's transport committee.

Mr Stewart, a member of the committee, said the issues surrounding ferry transport was "one of the most important rural transport issues facing the Highlands and Islands and indeed Scotland as a whole".

He said that ferry transport had been the number one issue raised by local authorities, the health boards and island communities during his recent visits to Shetland, the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute.

"The speed, availability and cost of ferries have a major bearing on the viability of many island communities and add greatly to the overall cost of living, the availability of goods, inward investment and tourism.

"At a time when the new administration has set up an inquiry into Road Equivalent Tariff, with a pilot scheme to operate to the Western Isles, it seems a very appropriate time for the committee to look at the whole question of ferries.

"This should include not just RET but the entire question of tendering processes, development of new routes and the costs borne by both pedestrians and vehicle travelers, in going between the mainland and the islands," he said.

He also said that internal island ferry services should be incorporated into the inquiry with a view of possible improvements in the methods of financing and delivering the service.

Mr Stewart added: "I have asked the committee not just to follow the usual procedures for an inquiry but to commit to visiting the islands, particularly Shetland.

"Only by visiting the islands and meeting with those who live and work there, can committee members fully appreciate the significance of ferry links to our island communities."
=================

[Low Light Mike]

Here's a story about a 200-yard river-crossing ferry, near Sacramento. Not "foreign", but this is as good a place as any to post this story.

There are likely some similarities between this, and our smaller inland ferries in BC.

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www.sacbee.com/101/story/381456.html

Last of the Real McCoy
Caltrans to retire and replace aging Rio Vista ferry
By Todd Milbourn - Sacramento Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, September 16, 2007


Time may pass slowly in the Delta, but it's catching up with the Real McCoy Ferry.

This plodding barge has been in service more than 60 years, carrying farmers, tourists or anyone else across the 200-yard channel between the muddy banks of Ryer Island and the city of Rio Vista.

The Real McCoy is a floating stretch of highway -- not to mention history -- every bit as important to the flow of traffic on Highway 84 as the Golden Gate Bridge is to Highway 101.

But these days, not a week passes without one of the ship's two six-cylinder engines, built in 1945, springing an oil leak. The hulls are dented from decades of bumping into docks. Paint is chipping off the pilothouse walls in ever-larger chunks.

"Everywhere you turn there's another (problem)," said Pam Gibson, the ship's deckhand on a recent afternoon as she waved aboard a truck full of Ryer Island farmworkers bound for a grocery store in town. "She's getting old."

Officials of the California Department of Transportation say the time has come to retire the Real McCoy.

They are seeking bids for a new vessel -- a bigger model that can shuttle 18-wheelers and recreational vehicles with trailers. Few companies make ferries anymore, so the new boat will have to be custom-built, with an estimated price tag of $1.2 million.

"It's not like you can just pull one of these things off somebody's shelf," said Keith Wayne, a Caltrans spokesman. Wayne said officials plan to christen a new boat by early 2009.

The new boat will inherit the name, which honors a former state highway engineer, George McCoy. But it likely will lose a unique distinction as Caltrans Equipment No. 0001. The number signifies the Real McCoy's position as the oldest vehicle still in use by the agency.

To find the ferry, take Highway 84 -- which doubles as Jefferson Boulevard -- south from West Sacramento. The road winds through farm country, over a bridge and past an abandoned grain mill before ending at a dock on Ryer Island. This is where the ferry picks up.

The free ride across Cache Slough takes less than 2 minutes. Once across, Highway 84 heads south to Rio Vista, where it ends at the intersection with Highway 12.

Anywhere from 50 to 150 vehicles take the ferry every day. The vessel runs nonstop, save for the occasional lunch and bathroom breaks for its two employees: a skipper and a deckhand.

On this blustery afternoon, Tom Barnes is perched in the pilothouse, a cramped room, about 5 feet square, with a console of throttles and switches and walls of peeling lime paint. From his skipper's chair, some 20 feet above the water, Barnes has a classic Delta view: A horizon of vineyards to the east. The steel spans of the Rio Vista Bridge to the south. Rivers and sloughs flowing like ribbons in various directions.

"You know the saying that the view only changes for the lead dog? That's me," said Barnes, who's worked on the boat since 1977. "It's a nice view, but it doesn't change."

That's not to say that the job is boring. Barnes said the McCoy's captain must deal with all manner of obstacles.

There's the wind: "They call it the Delta breeze, but it blows down limbs out here." Fog: "Sometimes, radar is all you got." Inattentive (sometimes inebriated) boaters: "We've got guys who basically pour Jack Daniel's on their Wheaties -- they don't know what they're doing."

Then, of course, there's the occasional flood.

The deluge of 1986 washed out large sections of Highway 84 and kept the Real McCoy on shore for three months.

Whales have been known to swim by.

The famously misguided Humphrey found himself in the freshwater sloughs near the ferry in 1985, attracting TV crews from around the world. Delta and Dawn retraced Humphrey's path earlier this year and fetched similar attention.

Ferries like the Real McCoy used to be a familiar sight on California waterways.

A 1968 Bee article described a "proud inland navy -- a fleet of ferryboats which navigated every important waterway from San Mateo to Redding and beyond."

But as bridges became more economical, the ferries went out of service.

Today, there are only two state-run ferries remaining, Wayne said -- the Real McCoy and the J. Mack ferry, which plies Steamboat Slough, a few miles to the northeast.

The ferries survive because they are much less expensive than building bridges over narrow channels of water.

The Real McCoy is a crucial link for the 300 or so residents of Ryer Island, who use it to get to work or shopping centers in Rio Vista. Taking the nearest bridge adds roughly another half-hour to the trip.

"A long time just to get groceries," said Adan Flores, a 21-year-old Ryer Island farmworker, the engine of his Honda Civic idling as he waited on the Rio Vista side for the ferry's ramp to lower.

Emergency services rely on the ferry, too. When the state proposed shutting down nighttime ferry service to deal with a budget crunch in 2003, residents protested, arguing that the closure would slow fire and ambulance response times.

Lawmakers, including state Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, rallied to the cause, and the state decided to keep the ferry open.

Wolk said it's high time for a new, more reliable McCoy. "It's an old workhorse. It's done a good job for over 60 years," she said. "But everybody recognizes we need a new ferry."

When the time comes, Barnes said, he'll be sad to see the ship retire. He joked that the boat is best-suited for the scrap yard. On reflection, he said it should probably go to a museum.

"I've spent more time on this boat than any house, any school, any other place I've ever been. Hundreds of thousands of hours," Barnes said. "You get used to it."

Gibson isn't so nostalgic. After all, it's her job to clean up all those oil-leak messes.

She said she's ready for a cleaner, better-running machine. And the sooner it arrives, the better.

"I'm going to miss (the original Real McCoy) a little bit," she said. "And only a little bit."
=======================

[Mill Bay]

Hmmmm...

Sounds like an interesting little ferry.

I wonder if there are any worries about what an expanded ferry service at this location might do to the economy of this island.

There are also a few pictures of the ferry at transit-rider.com/ca.centralvalley/delta.cfm

[Low Light Mike]

re river ferries in Scotland:
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www.theherald.co.uk:80/news/news/display.var.1708944.0.0.php

600 years of river ferries under threat as costs soar
GERRY BRAIDEN September 24 2007

Since King Robert III gave the royal nod over 600 years ago, they have been taking people to either bank.

But now the last operational ferries on the upper reaches of the Clyde are in jeopardy, their futures thrown into doubt by high maintenance costs, increasing need for public subsidies and environmental impact.

The Renfrew to Yoker ferries, which have survived the death of the shipyards, the construction of the Clyde Tunnel and Kingston Bridge and the decommissioning of other services at Govan, Partick, Whiteinch, Finnieston and Erskine, will now be the subject of a detailed study to determine their viability.

Their owners, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, will seek approval this week for part-funding for the £60,000 study, the balance being paid by Scottish Enterprise.

Consultants will be tasked with investigating other options for a crossing at the 200-metre stretch, arguably Scotland's shortest ferry crossing, with both agencies keen to see the costings for a no-frills pedestrian and cycle bridge.

The vessels, the Renfrew Rose and the Yoker Swan, will be beyond repair in less than two years, the cost of an upgrade almost as much as the estimated £2m for replacement craft.

However, of greater drain on SPT's resources is the annual £400,000 currently required to subsidise the ferries.

Some 150,000 passengers use the ferries every year at a cost of £1 per adult for a single crossing but every journey is subsidised by £2.65.

Originally operating half-a- mile upstream, the ferry moved to its present site 200 years ago to service rapid urban growth around Renfrew during the early industrial revolution. Throughout most of last century it serviced the many shipyards on both sides of the river and as recently as 1984 chain-operated ferries were still in operation.

But while other services were axed, difficulty in tunnelling or bridging where the ferries operate allowed them to survive.

Despite the dearth of publicity or information about its very existence, on a blustery Sunday afternoon there was a steady stream of passengers making the three-minute crossing from Glasgow to Renfrewshire yesterday.

A group of teenagers were making their way from Clydebank on the north side to the ski and cinema centre at Braehead on the southern shores, while several passengers were breaking the monotony of walking the dog with a short hop across the Clyde.

While the ferry has not transported cars since the 1980s, most crossings yesterday carried at least one cyclist.

The run-down surroundings of both slipways, the welcoming committee of swans and continual need for crew members to shovel grit when berthing suggest an era not in keeping with a gentrified Clydeside.

Steve Cairns has been using the ferry for 40 years. The 48-year-old barber from Erskine cycles every day to work and believes the combined weight of all agencies involved in the Clyde's regeneration should be pulled to save the service if the study says it should go.

He said: "They should be making a big deal about this. I just don't know why they don't use it as a river boat, servicing Braehead and heading right down to Finnieston."

Daniel Matursik, of Krakow but now living in Yoker, uses the ferry for work in a Renfrew bakery. He said: "A bridge would be good but I like the ferry because it is unusual."

An SPT spokesman could only confirm a report on the feasibility study would go before committee this week.
========

[Low Light Mike]

Here's another article re Scotland, where Cal-Mac has received a gov't contract to operate a run that used to be gov't operated.

There are some interesting parallels between this "Forced tender" of the route in the Cylde & Hebrides, and our BCFS scenario.

The reader-comments at the bottom of the story are also interesting, in comparison to our usual BC issues.

It appears that we in BC are not unique in this world......

news.scotsman.com:80/scotland.cfm?id=1565152007
(the entire link isn't blue...so you'll have to cut/paste it into your browser's address bar).

(It's too bad Cascade / Old Tar is on his posting moratorium, as he'd likely have some further commentary on this CalMac news).

[Neil]

Nothing has changed on this route; it was run by Cal Mac before, and they have the new contract as well. Cal Mac is wholly state owned.

What this story illustrates is the idiocy of putting everything up for tender, and expecting 'competition' on routes that are non-commercial. The tendering process for this route cost the public 15 million pounds, took eight years, and resulted in only Cal Mac finally making a bid, when other suitors deemed the contract not commercially worthwhile.

EEC rules force governments to put even the smallest routes up for tender when subsidies are involved. Often the end result is like this one, when the route is a designated 'lifeline' operation with little chance for profit. A waste of time and money when the best course would have been to just put resources into making the existing state run service as efficient as possible.

[Low Light Mike]

hornbyguy said:

EEC rules force governments to put even the smallest routes up for tender when subsidies are involved.

......which is why many people see international trade agreements to be threats to individual nations' sovereignty.

Which is why you see protests at almost every global trade conference. (it's also a good training ground for Quebec police undercover...but I digress).

Neil: thanks for clarifying the Cal-Mac issue.

[Low Light Mike]

Here's a CalMac story, about how the ferry company can be fined, if the ship does not run "on time"
===============================

tinyurl.com/2bfjh9


Run to time or face a fine ferries told
Published: 26 October, 2007

FERRY crews in Kintyre are being warned not to wait on late passengers otherwise they may be issued with a fine for the vessel not getting to it’s destination on time.

This was introduced as part of the conditions of tender when the new contract was introduced.

There are exceptions however to this, for example, when a delay is caused by a late running scheduled public transport service intended to connect with that sailing or when weather conditions cause the vessel to be late.

Caledonian MacBrayne’s terms and conditions of carriage also makes clear that passengers should be boarded by a specific time prior to sailing which was also included in the old contract.

This aims at improving the reliability of services and more vigilance for the vessel to leave the slip on time.

Although a fine would not apply for services departing after the stated time, it may be applied if the late departure causes the ferry to arrive late at it’s destination, allowing the skipper to make up the delayed time on route.

A CalMac spokesperson said: ‘The Public Service Contract between Scottish Ministers and CalMac Ferries Ltd requires CalMac Ltd to operate the services in accordance with the published timetable.

‘The Scottish Executive will monitor CalMac’s performance against a number of key performance indicators as set out in the Contract.’

One of the routes affected will be the Tayinloan to Gigha service, where a passenger was left behind recently after time constraints.

Kenny Robison, from Ardlamy Farm, Gigha is particularly worried that these changes may affect making the last ferry at night. He said: ‘This will make it in convenient more than anything. It is worrying that if we went for a day away and were held up on the road the ferry wouldn’t be able to wait for us and we might not get back. This would result in our cows not being milked, whereas before they were more lenient.

‘Nobody abuses the flexibility sometimes applied on some occasions. I have sympathy with CalMac on this as it is their contract through the conditions of tender that is causing this to apply.’

CalMac are also putting additional sailings on for their Islay route.

These additional sailings began on October 21, and CalMac has confirmed that from that date they will run a two vessel service.

It will operate until the end of the winter timetable in March 2008, except for two key periods when a single vessel will apply due to CalMac’s vessel overhaul requirements.

The exception periods will be from November 10 until November 24, and January 27, 2008 until February 16, 2008, inclusive.

The island’s distillers are experiencing unprecedented levels for demand and increasing production levels and the extra sailings should enable them to meet their production requirements.
==============

[Neil]

This isn't a news article, but it's about foreign ferries. Maybe we need a 'ferry humor' section.

If you ever want a chuckle, cruise through some of the Japanese ferry companies English web sites, and check out the translations. This is from Hankyu Ferry, and this is their boarding information:

"If the coupons or reservation tickets other than the boat ticket of issue of our company remain as they are, they cannot board. Please exchange for the boat ticket of issue of our company, after filling in boarding list of names (application form) by paste counter.
Please get in past,a little early, after arrival, push boarding procedure and become precocious. It may be unable to board, when boarding procedure ends and does not come out."

Which is perfectly clear, right? We should all 'become precocious' when we get on a ferry.

[Low Light Mike]

hornbyguy said:

Which is perfectly clear, right? We should all 'become precocious' when we get on a ferry.

.....well we do have many marine-engineer prodigies on this here forum. I'm sure that if there were a maritime-training school for gifted children, we'd have some forum members in there. Who knows, they might find a way to make the MV Mill Bay interchangeable with the MV Quinsam.

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

News item about the Scottish ferries that service the northern islands in Scotland from shippingtimes.com:
www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item974_macbrayne.htm

(I think this may be connected to the story Flugel Horn posted earlier(reply 10), but I'm not sure...)

Return of David MacBrayne Ltd
First report of restructured Scottish ferry group sees revival of famous shipping name...


The David MacBrayne Group, which comprises the operators of both the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services, has emerged from a year of considerable change, which has resulted in one of the most significant periods in the history of Scottish ferry services, according to the Group’s Chairman Peter Timms.

Writing in his statement in the first Annual Report of the Group, covering the period to March 2007, which was laid before the Scottish Parliament today (Thursday, 29 November 2007), Peter Timms states: “Throughout this challenging period of constant change, the Group continues to build on its strengths, focussing on maintaining and improving safety, comfort and the quality of our services, whilst controlling costs in order to provide best value for customers and the taxpayer. I look forward to the challenges which lie ahead with great confidence.”

Corporate restructuring in July and October 2006 brought into a single entity the companies that provide ferry services to the Clyde & Hebrides, together with those to the Northern Isles. In July 2006, operation of the Northern Isles ferry services was transferred to NorthLink Ferries Ltd. from the predecessor operator, NorthLink Orkney & Shetland Ferries Ltd. In October 2006, ownership of the Clyde & Hebrides vessel and harbour assets was separated from the associated ferry operations and the operations were transferred to a new operating company within the David MacBrayne Group, CalMac Ferries Ltd. Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. retained ownership of these vessel and harbour assets and was renamed Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. (CMAL); CMAL and the David MacBrayne Group are independently owned by Scottish Ministers.

As a direct result of corporate restructuring, the Group financial information throughout the Annual Report relates to the period from commencement of trading of the main operating companies, CFL and NorthLink Ferries Ltd. (NFL), and, accordingly, no Group comparative figures are provided.

The purpose of the restructure was to ensure that the vessel and harbour assets remained in public ownership whichever operator won the public tender process.

Peter Timms also states: “I am delighted to report that CalMac Ferries Ltd. (CFL) has been awarded the Public Service Contract to operate the Clyde & Hebrides ferry services from 1 October 2007 until 30 September 2013. In the period to 31 March 2007, the Group recorded a profit before tax for the period of £2.1m. Group revenue from fares and other income, at £33.1m, and Group operating costs, at £83.4m, were in line with expectations. CFL took over interim operation of the Clyde & Hebrides ferry services on 1st October 2006. Traffic carryings for the period were in line with expectations, despite prolonged severe winter weather conditions. CFL also met all of the performance targets set by the then Scottish Executive with respect to service reliability and punctuality, as well as the relationship between fares income and operating costs. NorthLink Ferries Ltd took over operation of the Northern Isles services on 6th July 2006 after its bid won the tender for these services, and it has performed well both financially and operationally. Carryings for the period to 31 March 2007 were in line with expectations.”

The Annual Report and financial statements detail improvements carried out on behalf of CMAL in terms of infrastructure and new tonnage during the period.

Following corporate restructure, CFL and its subsidiaries are participating employers in the CalMac Pension Fund, which is operated by CMAL. Peter Timms explains: “Under these new arrangements, the pension rights of both current and past employees have been protected and CMAL is responsible for ensuring, on the basis of advice from the Trustees following approval by the pensions regulator, that past deficits will be properly funded. Liability for annual payments for past deficits in the Merchant Navy pension funds has also remained with CMAL. NorthLink Ferries Ltd contributes to a defined contribution pension scheme.”

The Annual Reports of both the David MacBrayne Group and its main operating subsidiaries are available on the CalMac Ferries website (www.calmac.co.uk).

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

From shippingtimes:

www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item997_ballycastle.htm

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Fresh hopes for Campbeltown-Ballycastle ferry service
Northern Ireland and Scottish Ministers agree fresh economic appraisal of route...

Fresh moves to re-establish a ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle took a step forward today when Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson announced to Parliament that a new economic appraisal of the route is to be undertaken.

Following talks with his Northern Ireland counterpart Nigel Dodds MP, Mr Stevenson said that Ministers have agreed to jointly fund work into the case for restoring the service using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) system.

The Transport Minister said:

"After years of no movement on a Campbeltown-Ballycastle service, I am delighted to announce that I have agreed with Northern Ireland Minister Nigel Dodds to carry out a fresh economic appraisal of the route.

"Communities on both sides of the water have campaigned long and hard for the reinstatement of this service, believing it would bring economic and tourism benefits to the local communities involved and Scotland more widely.

"This appraisal will examine that case.

"Both Governments are in agreement that the previous appraisals carried out in 2000-01 are now too old to be of any practical use in assessing the case for reintroducing the service, or estimating the associated costs and benefits involved. A new appraisal now will allow us to re-examine the economic viability of the route.

"The STAG appraisal will be completed this summer, and at that stage, we will agree with our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive, the next steps to be taken.

"The Scottish Government has set aside funding within the budget announced by John Swinney last month for a Campbeltown - Ballycastle ferry service, and we remain absolutely committed to doing all we can to progress this for the local communities involved."

The STAG appraisal of a Campbeltown-Ballycastle ferry service will be completed by summer 2008.

During the First Minister's visits to Belfast on 18/19 June, and at the British Irish Council on 16 July, Northern Ireland Ministers indicated their willingness to work with the Scottish Government to consider ways in which the project might be taken forward. The Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive agreed to examine the case for restoring the ferry service.

Since then officials from both administrations have discussed joint working arrangements for taking the project forward. The Transport Minister has discussed with his counterpart in Northern Ireland, Nigel Dodds MLA MP, at the end of November. During that discussion, it was agreed that a fresh economic appraisal, using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) should be undertaken.

This STAG appraisal will allow both Governments to assess the economic viability of the route. It will also allow us to identify the preferred ferry service option, together with the key terms of a service specification, which might be used for a future tender exercise, and a detailed review of the vessel availability.

[Low Light Mike]

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www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071222.wferrynile1222/BNStory/International/home
Nile ferry accident claims 16
REUTERS
Globe and Mail Update
December 22, 2007 at 12:40 PM EST

CARIO — Sixteen Egyptians drowned on Saturday after a minibus they were riding in plunged into the Nile river from the deck of a ferry in central Egypt, security sources said.

They said 13 bodies had been pulled from the river near the town of Minya after the accident, which was the third major transport mishap in Egypt since the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday on Tuesday.

Rescue workers were still trying to find the bodies of another three people who had been on the bus when it fell into the river and were presumed to have drowned, the sources said. They said they no longer expected to find them alive.

State media reported that three more people had survived the accident with injuries.

Security sources said the minibus had driven aboard the ferry but then fell from the deck while the boat was still at the shore. State news agency MENA said it fell while boarding.

Many of the dead were from an extended family who had been travelling back to Cairo after spending the holiday with family in the village of Hag Qandil near Minya, 200 kilometres south of Cairo, MENA reported.

It said the dead included at least six children ages two to 13, and that the minibus driver had turned himself over to police, fearing violence from family members of the dead.

A series of fatal transport accidents in recent years triggered a public outcry over the government's handling of transport safety. Many of those accidents have occurred on public holidays, when Egypt's transport system becomes overloaded.

On Friday, at least eight Egyptians were killed and 24 others were injured when a bus collided with another vehicle near the oasis town of Fayoum south of Cairo. A day earlier, a metro train jumped its track at a station on the outskirts of Cairo, injuring at least 34 people.

During the Eid el-Fitr holiday in October that marked the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, 13 people died in a similar ferry boat accident in Minya after the ramp they were using to board the boat collapsed, plunging them into the river.
=======================

[Low Light Mike]

High winds in Sweden: It's not just a BC Coastal thing...
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Ferry passengers stranded for twenty hours
Published: 3 Jan 08 18:30 CET
Online: www.thelocal.se/9554/

Ferries carrying around 200 passengers were stranded off the coast of southern Sweden for almost twenty hours in poor weather on Wednesday, unable to dock in the port of Trelleborg.

The Scandlines ship Mecklenburg-Vorpommern approached Trelleborg at 9pm on Wednesday after a voyage from Rostock, but knocked a fender into the water as it entered the port.

Port authorities ruled that for safety reasons ships could not dock until the fender had been removed.

The decision left the Mecklenberg-Vorpommern stranded at sea for almost twenty hours, until it could dock late on Thursday afternoon. Another Scandlines ship, the Skåne, had been due to dock around 6:30am on Thursday, but was also prevented from entering port thanks to the earlier accident.

The delays took place during high winds in the Baltic, with wind speeds of up to 15 metres per second. Scandlines spokesman Joakim Kenndal said the fact that the ships were so close to the harbour, and therefore partly sheltered, meant passengers were "not too uncomfortable."

Kenndal said staff onboard the ships had done their best to make passengers comfortable.

"Cabins were opened up so that people could get some sleep, and food and drink was provided," he said.

"People were so close to shore, so were understandably frustrated, but I think most people understood the situation."

Claims by passengers for compensation will be treated on a case-by-case basis, Kenndal said.
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[Low Light Mike]

tinyurl.com/3949qg

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Hong Kong-Macau ferries collide, 133 injured
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 14:15:00 01/12/2008

HONG KONG -- Shaken and injured passengers arrived back in Hong Kong Saturday a day after two high-speed ferries collided in thick fog off the gambling haven of Macau, leaving 133 people injured, officials said.

About 19 people suffered serious injuries, including head wounds and bone fractures, the Macau government said. No one was killed in the accident.

The two ferries, one bound for Hong Kong from Macau and the other travelling in the opposite direction crashed into each other on Friday night.

The two ferries were carrying a total of 455 passengers and crew members.

More than 10 vessels were sent by the Macau authorities for the rescue operation and all 133 injured passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment.

On Saturday, five injured passengers returned to Hong Kong and were taken to hospital for treatment, with three discharged by late morning, Hong Kong authorities said.

The accident happened when thick fog caused serious disruption to sea traffic in Hong Kong waters, with visibility down to 100 meters (328 feet) at one point.

"Many people flew out of their seats after the impact. I heard that the captain was also injured. It was such chaos," one passenger told the South China Morning Post.

The daily reported one of the ferries was so badly damaged it had to be towed to port, with the incident causing ferry services to and from Macau be suspended for two hours.
=================

[Low Light Mike]

Indonesia this time....same old story of crumbling infrastructure, and no money to fix it:
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www.reuters.com:80/article/latestCrisis/idUSSP325050
By Sara Webb

MERAK, Indonesia, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Indonesia's rust-bucket ferries are a symbol of the decrepit infrastructure which has plagued Southeast Asia's biggest economy and prevented it from matching China's meteoric growth rate.

Delivering a truckload of goods across one of the biggest of the 17,000 islands in Indonesia's archipelago can take a week, when a journey of the same distance might take a day in Europe or the United States.

At Merak, a busy port on the western tip of Java island, lorries loaded with coffee, sugar and fruit from the island of Sumatra drive off a rusty ferry. Trucks carrying brand new motorbikes take their place for the three-hour ferry ride across choppy seas to southern Sumatra.

When the ferry docks in resource-rich Sumatra, some of the trucks must then navigate their way through narrow, dirt roads over mountains and through forests to Banda Aceh in the north. The 1,600 km journey might take close to a week.

From the island of Sabang in the west to Merauke in the east, Indonesia spans over 5,000 km, or roughly the distance from Anchorage, Alaska to New York City. Indonesia is heavily dependent on ferries for transport between its islands.

Yet years of neglect and a lack of funding in the wake of the Asian financial crisis mean that much of Indonesia's infrastructure needs to be modernised or expanded.

"Infrastructure is key to Indonesia's success," says Edwin Soeryadjaya, whose firm Saratoga Capital has invested in a section of the Trans-Java tollroad, an ambitious project that will stretch over 1,000 km from one end of Java to the other by the time it is completed in 2010.

New infrastructure could help Indonesia's growth rate spurt from 6.3 percent in 2007 to as much as 8 percent, said Bill Belchere, a Hong Kong-based economist at Macquarie Securities.

In parts of Java where better infrastructure has been built, there are obvious economic benefits such as jobs and tourism. At weekends, Jakartans flock to the once-sleepy hill city of Bandung as a new tollroad has cut travel time in half to two hours, leading to brisk business for hotels and shopping malls there.

DISASTERS

Transport Minister Jusman Syafi'i Djamal estimates Indonesia needs a minimum investment of about 25 trillion rupiah ($2.67 billion) a year for the next decade to overhaul its transport.

"We want to improve and modernise all the infrastructure, to improve trains, ships, aviation and land transport," he told Reuters in an interview late last year.

Djamal, who was previously with the National Transportation and Security Evaluation body, has one of the toughest jobs in the cabinet -- improving the reputation of a transport system that has become a byword for disasters.

A string of fatal accidents, many caused by bad weather, poor maintenance, or sloppy practices, cost Djamal's predecessor the transport job and prompted the European Union to ban all 51 Indonesian airlines from its airspace on safety grounds.

An Adam Air airplane disappeared into the sea a year ago with 102 passengers and crew on board, while a Garuda Indonesia plane crashed at Yogyakarta airport in March, killing 21 people, after the pilot ignored 15 warnings and descended too rapidly.

Djamal says Indonesia has responded with improvements such as plans to buy new planes and better safety practices, and it hopes to get the ban overturned in the next few months.

But he still has plenty of work to do on the railways, roads and ferries. A few months ago, he ordered 10 of the 24 ferries at Merak to be taken out of service and repaired, causing disruptions and long tailbacks at the port.

"People were angry with me because suddenly there were traffic jams," said Djamal, "but safety and security is the first priority."

Even so, some accidents are beyond his control, he says.

In October, a ferry capsized off Sulawesi when passengers rushed to the upper deck to get a mobile phone signal from a nearby transmitter: a local radio station had offered a free car to the first person to call in and the passengers wanted to try their luck. Police said at least 30 people died.

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS

With foreign direct investment in Indonesia bouncing back, analysts say it should be easy to attract funding.

"The issue is not the funding, the issue is the spending, and the ability of central and local governments to implement these plans," said Fauzi Ichsan, an economist at Standard Chartered.

"Land clearance is the biggest hurdle, because no one has the power to make land clearance for these projects compulsory. This can be done under a more authoritarian government, but this is the price of democracy."

The engineering feats involved are a further challenge. Much of Indonesia's terrain, particularly in resource-rich areas, is mountainous, heavily forested, or at risk from landslides, floods, and seismic activity, which makes construction difficult.

So while there's talk of building a bridge across the Sunda Strait to connect Java and Sumatra and replace the existing antiquated ferries, the $10 billion project is controversial.

This part of the archipelago suffers frequent earthquakes and is close to Anak Krakatau, an active volcano which burst into life again just weeks after the two local governments backing the project decided to push ahead with a feasibility study.

Transport Minister Djamal said that his priorities are to fix the railways, provide ferry services to link the easternmost islands, and build new airports in Papua which is difficult to cross by land.

In Sumatra, he wants to cut travel from one end of the island to the other from days to five hours using a high-speed train.

While many investors worried about China's massive spending on infrastructure projects in the 1990s, the investment paid off and laid the foundation for very strong growth, analysts say.

"In Indonesia, a lot of local manufacturers have trouble moving things about the country, which leads to higher inflation," said Belchere, from Macquarie Securities. "You limit your ability to hit a 7 to 8 percent growth rate if you don't get ahead of these bottlenecks."

(Additional reporting by Telly Nathalia, Ahmad Pathoni, and Harry Suhartono; editing by Megan Goldin)
==============================

[Mill Bay]

Anyone want to see the Island Sky's big sister.
The new Wightlink ferry actually looks a lot like the I class ferries.
www.wightlink.co.uk/newships/index.htm


[shadow=black,left,300]Wightlink launches new ferry[/shadow]

THE first of Wightlink's new fleet of ships for its Lymington to Yarmouth car ferry route has been launched at a Croatian shipyard.

Called Wight Light, it was launched in a ceremony at Brodogradiliste Kraljevica in front of a 23-strong group from Wightlink by seven-year old Croatian schoolgirl Nevia Pravdica.

Set to be a familiar sight in the waters around Lymington, it will enter service on the route to Yarmouth in the summer and will eventually be joined by two others, also under construction at the shipyard.

Four metres longer and less than one metre wider, the larger ferries have provoked protests from other Lymington harbour users.

Incorporating around 700 tons of steel, the new ferries will each be able to carry up to 360 passengers and 65 cars and are said by Wightlink to offer greater loading flexibility as well as more attractive on-board facilities. They have been introduced because they do not comply with new ferry regulations.

Wightlink marketing manager Kerry Jackson said: "We were delighted to see the large numbers of local people who came out to cheer on the launch ceremony and we are now looking forward to getting the ship ready for its sail back to the UK."

The second of Wightlink's new fleet, Wight Sky, has been constructed alongside Wight Light and is scheduled for a launch at the end of March. Both ships will then undergo sea trials in Croatia before Wightlink accepts them. If all goes to plan, the two ferries will be sailed back to the UK late May by Wightlink crews.

Meanwhile, progress has been made in the construction of the third new ship, Wight Sun, with the laying of the keel at Brodogradiliste Kraljevica after the launch of Wight Light.

8:28am today

By Echo Business

www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/shipping/shippingnews/display.var.2000885.0.wightlink_launches_new_ferry.php

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

www.shippingtimes.co.uk/itm149_isle-of-lewis.htm

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Calmac's biggest vessel returns to service after refit
ISLE OF LEWIS returns to west coast station after £165,000 spent on overhaul...

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Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne’s annual refurbishment programme has taken a significant step towards its closing stages with the completion of work on the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry MV Isle of Lewis, which has returned to her west coast station this week.

The ship, the largest in the CalMac fleet, returned to Lewis on Sunday, having been storm-bound in the Garvel Dock in Greenock on Friday and resumed her service between Stornoway and the mainland on Monday morning, having been brought back to the island through some severe weather by Captain Alex Morrison of High Borve in Lewis.

MV Isle of Lewis was replaced on her regular run by MV Clansman, which has now left for Birkenhead, where she will undergo a major fuel conversion programme as part of her own annual refit and refurbishment for the next three weeks.

CalMac’s Regional Manager Mary Anne Campbell said: “The crew did a fantastic job to get the ship back to her regular beat on time and we are delighted with the work done during the annual overhaul period. There are major improvements done to some of the customer areas and I am sure that regular customers will notice a big difference. The main observation area upstairs has been revamped with new lighting and fittings and the deck-head panels have been repainted. The seating has been completely re-upholstered and the centre area modified with raised backs for added comfort and glass panels to reduce noise levels. The addition of arm rests, will, we hope, go some way towards fitted addressing the problem we have of inconsiderate customers taking up extra space. New Carpets and curtains have also been fitted with the bulkheads and doors cover refreshed as well.”

Similar improvements, in a programme of improvements totalling £165,000, have been effected in the reclining Lounge and further improvements have been made to the décor of the Stairwell and passageway leading from the main foyer/reception area to lounges.

Mary Anne added: “The improvements are in line with the standards we expect of all our new vessels and we will now be adding some new photographs and scenic views of the area to complement the overall feel and look of the ship. CalMac has made a significant investment in the refurbishment programme this year and I am delighted that a significant part of that has been allocated to this route where MV Isle of Lewis plays such a huge part in sustaining the island economy.”

[D'Elete BC in NJ]

Original story here.

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Irish Sea ferry RIVERDANCE grounds at Blackpool beach
An Irish Sea ferry, the mv RIVERDANCE, has grounded on the North Shore, Blackpool....


An Irish Sea ferry, the mv RIVERDANCE, has grounded on the North Shore, Blackpool.

The vessel had sent out a mayday last night at 1943 GMT and initially four passengers and ten of her crew were winched to safety. The ship had developed a list of 60 degrees after some of her cargo of lorries and trailers shifted.

Nine of her crew stayed aboard and the ship grounded on Blackpool's North Shore. Despite their efforts they were unable to get the vessel refloated under her own power and they too were airlifted to safety.

Winds up to Force 10 were experienced and the situation had echoes of the PRINCESS VICTORIA disaster, the 55th anniversary of that tragedy being last night (31st January). She foundered during a storm after her car deck was flooded and 136 people lost their lives.

The RIVERDANCE first got into difficulties ten nautical miles off Fleetwood and encountered waves of 7 metres high in the fierce conditions.

The mv RIVERDANCE runs twice a day between Warrenpoint and Haysham and is operated by Seatruck Ferries, a subsidiary of Clipper Group. She was built in 1977 and has a gross tonnage of 6041 tons. She was built at the Rickmers shipyard in Germany as the MASHALA and was operated by Gilnavi Line and has under a variety of owners/operators since 1986. Her work in the Irish Sea started in 1991 with Belfast Freight Ferries until 1993. Seatruck purchased her in 1996.

Seatruck defended their decision to put the vessel to sea. Speaking to the BBC Kevin Hobbs, the chief executive of the company said there was 'no cause for concern' when the vessel left port and that there were many ships out at sea at the same time. He said they had just been 'extremely unlucky'.

Attempts to refloat the vessel are expected this morning.

The rescue operations involved helicopters from the RAF in Wales, the Royal Navy in Scotland as well as the Irish Coastguard plus RNLI vessels from Lytham and Fleetwood, a tanker, the STEERSMAN and two offshore support vessels, CLWYD SUPPORTER and HIGHLAND SPRITE. Liverpool Coastguard co-ordinated the operations.